Ore-concentrating apparatus.



No. 808,584. PATENTED DEC. 26, l905.

X. ST. PIERRE.

. ORE OONGENTRATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23. 1905.

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No..808,584. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905,

X. ST. PIERRE.

ORE CONGENTRATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION rum) IEB.23.1905.

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No- 808,584. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. X. ST. PIERRE.

ORE CONGBNTRATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1905.

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XAVIER ST. PIERRE, OF RUBY, MONTANA.

ORE-CONCENTRATING APPA RATUS- Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed February 23, 1905. Serial No. 246,975.

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, XAVIER ST. PIERRE, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Ruby, in the county of Madison and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ore- Concentrating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ore-concentrating apparatus.

The objects of the invention are to improve and simplify the construction of such apparatus. Furthermore, to increase its efficiency in operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed as a practical embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the concentrators. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of one of the concentrators. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the troughs for receiving the concen trates and tailings. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the stirrup member for adjusting the cover of the concentrator. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of an endless conveyer. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a split collar.

Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

As shown in Fig. 2, the improved apparatus preferably is constructed with a suitable frame 1, in which is mounted a plurality of concentrators A, B, C, and D. Although four concentrators are illustrated in the drawings, a greater or lesser number of such devices may beemployed, if desired. As the construction of the four concentrators A, B, C, and D is the same, a description of one concentrator will suffice to convey an understanding of all. Each of the concentrators,

as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises a coneshaped receptacle 2, which is provided with a downwardly-bent rim 3. a The receptacle 2 is fixed upon a rotary shaft 4 by means of a key 5 or other suitable device. The lower portion of the receptacle 2 is cylindrical in shape, as indicated at 6, in order to adapt the same to receive an endless belt for use in rotating the receptacle at a high rate of speed. The upper portion of the rotary shaft 4is hollow, as indicated at 7, the lower end of said hollow portionbeing formed with a series of perforations 8 adjacent to the bottom of the receptacle 2. At its upper end the hollow portion of the shaft 4 is provided with a funnel 9, which is supported in brackets 10 upon the frame 1. ceive crushed ore, which is mixed with Water and introduced to the receptacle 2 through the hollow portion of the shaft 4.

Surrounding the receptacle 2 and fitting beneath the downwardly-bent rim 3 thereof is a concentrate-trough 11, which is formed with a V-shaped bottom and is inclined downwardly toward one side of the concentrator, a concentrate exit-pipe 12 being connected with the trough 11 at its lowest point. The trough 11, as its name implies, is adapted to receive the concentrates which are separated from the ore by centrifugal force, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The funnel 9 is adapted to re- Surrounding the concentrate-trough 1 1 is a tailings-trough 13, which is formed with a V-shaped bottom similar to the trough 11 and is inclined downwardly toward one side of the concentrator, as described with respect to the concentrate-trough, a tailingsexit pipe 14 being connected with the trough 13 at its lowest point. The trough 13, as its name implies, is adapted to receive the tailings which are separated from the ore. annular troughs 11 and 13 are supported on uprights 1.. it will be understood that said troughs are stationary and do not rotate with the receptacle 2.

Fitted over the receptacle 2 is a cover 15, having a fiatcentral portion and a downwardly-curved rim 16, which fits inside the tailings-trough 13, as shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the underside of the rim 16 of the cover 15 is an annular guide member 17, having an inner rim 18, which projects into the upper end of the receptacle 2, and an outer rim 19, having a groove 20 therein which fits over the outer edge of the concentrate-trough 11 and the inner edge of the tailings-trough 13. The cover 15 is formed with a sleeve portion 21, which surrounds the rotary shaft The 4 and is splined thereon by means of a key 22, so that the cover 15 rotates with the shaft 4, but is capable of being raised and lowered thereon. The sleeve portion 21 is formed with an annular groove 23, intowhich is fitted a split collar 24. The collar 24 is pro vided with trunnions 25, which are journaled in the arms 26 27 of a suitable stirrup memher which is provided with an upstanding arm 28, j ournaled in the frame 1, as indicated at 29. At the end of the stirrup member opposite the upstanding arm 28 the arms 26 and 27 are connected by a cross-piece 30, into which-is fitted the lower end of a shaft 31, which is threaded through a collar 32 and is provided with a hand-wheel 33. The lower end of the shaft 31 is formed with a circumferential groove 34, into which is fitted apin 35, extending through the crosspiece 30. By rotating the hand-wheel 33 the cover 15 may be raised or lowered to regulate its position with respect to the receptacle 2.

The operation of the concentrator thus far described is as follows: Pulverized ore mixed with water is fed through the funnel 9 and the hollow portion 7 of the shaft 4. The pulverized ore solution enters the receptacle 2 through the perforations 8. As the receptacle 2 is rotated by means of a suitable belt engaging the cylindrical portion 6 thereof the heavy or valuable particles of the ore are thrown outward by centrifugal force and mount gradually to the upper portion of the receptacle. Such heavy particles or concentrates, as they are called, pass between the inner rim 18 of the annular member 19 and the upper edge of the receptacle 2, after which they fall into the concentrate-trough 11 and are conducted off through the concentrateexit pipe 12. The lighter particles or tailings of the ore pass upward between the annular member 19 and the downwardly-bent rim 16 of the cover and descend into the tailings-trough 13, from which they are drawn through the tailings-exit pipe 14.

In order to increase the efficiency of oreconcentrating apparatus and to secure a better quality of concentrates, the several concentrators A, B, C, and D are arranged, preferably, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the concentrate-exit pipes 12 of the concentrators A, B, and 0 being in communication with a common discharge-pipe 40, which leads into the lower end of an endless con veyer 41, the upper end 42 of which is provided with a spout 43, arranged to discharge into the funnel of the concentrator D. The tailings-exit pipe 14 of the concentrator D is arranged to discharge into the lower end of an endless conveyer 44, the upper end 45 of which communicates with a feed-pipe 46, which is common to all of the concentrators A, B, and 0. Through this arrangement of the several concentrators the concentrates from the concentrators A, B, and O are fed to the concentrator D, wherein they are re concentrated, the tailings from the concentrator D being returned to the concentrators A, B, and C and the concentrates from the concentrator D being drawn off. In this way a much finer quality of concentrate is secured than is possible with usual forms of concentrators in which the ore receives but one treatment.

The endless conveyers 41 and 44 preferably are operated by endless belts 47 and 48.- The concentrators A B 0 preferably are rotated by means of suitable belts 49 50, as shown in Fig. 1.

Changes in the precise embodiment of invention illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An ore-concentrator comprising a ro-- tary cone-shaped receptacle having a downwardly-curved rim, a V-shaped concentratetrough surrounding the receptacle and fitting beneath the rim, a V-shaped tailings-trough surrounding the concentrate-trough, a hollow shaft extending into the receptacle and beingrotatabletherewith, a cover for the receptacle splined on the shaft and having a rim fitting inside the tailings-trough, and an annular guide member secured to the cover and having its inner rim fitting into the receptacle and its outer rim formed with a groove fitting over the outer edge of the concentratetrough and the inner edge of the tailingstrough.

2. An ore-concentrator comprising a rotary cone-shaped receptacle having a downwardly-curved rim, a V-shaped concentratetrough surrounding the receptacle and fitting beneath the rim, a V-shaped tailings-trough surrounding the concentrate-trough, extending into the receptacle and being rotatable therewith; a cover for the receptacle splined on the shaft and having a rim fitting inside the tailings-trough, an annular guide member secured to the cover and having its inner rim fitting into the receptacle and its outer rim formed with a groove fitting over the outer edge of the concentrate-trough and the inner edge of the tailings-trough, and means for raising and lowering the cover.

3. An ore-concentrator comprising a ver' tical shaft having a hollow portion formed with perforations at its lower end, a V- shaped receptacle having a cylindrical beltreceiving portion surrounding the lower end of said shaft and keyed thereto, the upper portion of said receptacle being formed with a downwardly-curved rim, a V-shaped con- IIO centrate-trough surrounding the receptacle and fitting beneath the rim, a V-shaped tailings trough surrounding the concentratetrough, a cover for the receptacle having a rim fitting inside the tailingsetrough, an an nular guide member secured to the cover and having an inner rim fitting into the receptacle and an outer rim formed with a groove fitting over the outer edge of the concentratetrough and the inner edge of the tai1ings- 1o trough, and means for raising and lowering said cover.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

XAVIER ST. PIERRE. Witnesses:

Osco O. SWEENY, S. L. POTTER. 

